Adventures Of Superman DVD Series Collection (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

I don't think that the show was a poor seller in absolute terms, but apparently WHV really overproduced inventory for it as it has been consistently at low prices for years.

Perhaps this is as big a reason as any why Warner now does so many DVD-R Releases!

CHEERS!

 

[Sky King]

Hi Tony,

I guess I'm a bit of a late entry regarding this thread.
I purchased the DVD set of the first 2 seasons of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN when they were first released. I didn't purchase the later color sets as I felt, with a few exceptions, that the storylines weren't as strong and somewhat "childish".
With regards to the visual quality of this set, I felt it was only fair, with some episodes being marginally better than others. Many fans of this series were hoping for prints made from the 35mm masters. Instead we got 16mm dupe prints which were contained on Beta Tape made just prior to the shows debut on Nick at Night in the early 1990's.
Warner Brothers is generally known as a penny pinching organization and I believe they failed to do a thorough customer research survey prior to the DVD release. This left them being unsure as to how popular this DVD set would be. IMHO those in charge of putting this DVD set together were either too young to remember this series or just didn't care and were looking to make a fast buck. In talking with some people in the know, most of the 35MM masters do exist...some in better condition than others, but none that are too far gone to restore. Personally, i would have paid more for this set if more restoration work had been done.
On a sidenote, the commentary by Noel Neill and Jack Larson on the DVD set was done by them for free. Warner Brothers refused to pay them and so they did it for their love of the show and for their fans. Noel and Jack told me this in person.

John

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Tony,

I guess I'm a bit of a late entry regarding this thread.
I purchased the DVD set of the first 2 seasons of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN when they were first released. I didn't purchase the later color sets as I felt, with a few exceptions, that the storylines weren't as strong and somewhat "childish".
With regards to the visual quality of this set, I felt it was only fair, with some episodes being marginally better than others. Many fans of this series were hoping for prints made from the 35mm masters. Instead we got 16mm dupe prints which were contained on Beta Tape made just prior to the shows debut on Nick at Night in the early 1990's.
Warner Brothers is generally known as a penny pinching organization and I believe they failed to do a thorough customer research survey prior to the DVD release. This left them being unsure as to how popular this DVD set would be. IMHO those in charge of putting this DVD set together were either too young to remember this series or just didn't care and were looking to make a fast buck. In talking with some people in the know, most of the 35MM masters do exist...some in better condition than others, but none that are too far gone to restore. Personally, i would have paid more for this set if more restoration work had been done.
On a sidenote, the commentary by Noel Neill and Jack Larson on the DVD set was done by them for free. Warner Brothers refused to pay them and so they did it for their love of the show and for their fans. Noel and Jack told me this in person.

John

Hi John!

I wasn't aware that any of the Episodes were derived from Beta Tape! My understanding was that 35mm was used for at least some of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Episodes, with the rest deriving from 16mm Prints.

While I now have all six Seasons, I've so far, only viewed a handful of the Season 2 Episodes, thus I cannot fully comment on their quality. The Color Episodes, which you haven't seen on the DVD Set, do in my opinion, look rather good, as do the Season 1 Black & White Episodes! Of course, access to the best extant material would make sense for any possible future Blu-Ray Release! I for one, would love to be able to see the Openings for all six Seasons, along with at least some of the Cast Commercial Spots!

It is indeed, too bad that Jack Larson and Noel Neill weren't duly compensated for the fine Commentary that they provided! Big kudos to them both for doing so anyway, out of love for we Fans and for the Show, itself!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Sky King]

Hi Tony,

Whiles its true that The Adventures Of Superman was shot on 35MM film, none of those elements were used in making this DVD set. If they had been used, the result would have been a razor sharp image with minimal graininess.
On a side note...I met again with Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen) last month in Los Angeles and he continues to be amazed at the popularity and love for this show, after all these years.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Tony,

Whiles its true that The Adventures Of Superman was shot on 35MM film, none of those elements were used in making this DVD set. If they had been used, the result would have been a razor sharp image with minimal graininess.
On a side note...I met again with Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen) last month in Los Angeles and he continues to be amazed at the popularity and love for this show, after all these years.

Hi John!

I think at the time the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Sets were being issued in the early '00's, it was considered an acceptable practice to draw from the Tapes that were used for syndicated broadcasts. My guess is the prevailing thought was that these still look better than most Viewers remember having seen these, especially in the Pre Cable Golden Age of Rotors and Rabbit Ears.

Suffice it to say that this aforementioned time has passed!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Oliver Ravencrest]

I really enjoy this series. The black and white DVDs look great but the colour ones seem to alternate between looking great one minute and being washed out and faded the next. It doesn't make them unwatchable, just distracting. I noticed this on Paramount's Happy Days sets too.

 

[DeWilson]

Hi John!

I wasn't aware that any of the Episodes were derived from Beta Tape! My understanding was that 35mm was used for at least some of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Episodes, with the rest deriving from 16mm Prints.

That would be BetaCAM tape the professional format (the successor to U-Matic 3/4" Video) that is a broadcast quality format. Not the home BetaMAX format. But point still taken - older transfers from on-hand prints.

 

[Carabimero]

This is one of those sets that if I had to cull my 6,000 DVDs down to a few, I'd keep this set. There's a real comfort in the charm of this show for me that only grows as I get older.

 

[Sky King]

That would be BetaCAM tape the professional format (the successor to U-Matic 3/4" Video) that is a broadcast quality format. Not the home BetaMAX format. But point still taken - older transfers from on-hand prints.

That's the term I was looking for...BetaCAM...The name escaped me at the time. Thanks DeWilson.

 

[Sky King]

I really enjoy this series. The black and white DVDs look great but the colour ones seem to alternate between looking great one minute and being washed out and faded the next. It doesn't make them unwatchable, just distracting. I noticed this on Paramount's Happy Days sets too.

Ron,

To each his own. Personally I don't think the show looks good visually in B/W or color, but beggars can't be chosers. We have to take what we get here from WB.

John

 

[Gary16]

I really enjoy this series. The black and white DVDs look great but the colour ones seem to alternate between looking great one minute and being washed out and faded the next. It doesn't make them unwatchable, just distracting. I noticed this on Paramount's Happy Days sets too.

I agree that the black and white transfers mostly look very very good. The problem with the color episodes is that when they go in and out of dissolves the color shifts badly and unfortunately the optical is carried through the entire next shot until there's a cut to a different angle. This could be corrected if they could go back to the original elements. Maybe someday.

 

[DeWilson]

Let's not forget the other issue - alternate edits on the first season!

As many of you recall, the series first season (24 shows) were shot first, with a mature almost "Dragnet" type atmosphere about them.

KELLOGGS came in as sponsor and requested edited on many episodes to tone down what they saw was violence and other non-kiddy friendly elements. (Such as the old lady being pushed down the stairs in "The Haunted Lighthouse") So they made a set of dupe negatives and used those to make the edited version.As the years went on, and those dupe negative were wearing out, the original versions slowly crept back into the syndication package - but not all of them. It was not uncommon to see some edited, some unedited in the 1970's-1980's runs.

 

[Matt Hough]

I think the old lady being pushed down the stairs was in "The Evil Three."

 

[DeWilson]

The Station in question was WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo, New York; and these aired on THE COMMANDER TOM SHOW Weekday Afternoons. It was between August 1974 and January 1978 or so that I viewed these!

COMMANDER TOM! I was a kid in Buffalo, 1974-1978 and I remember these as well. Along with Leave it To Beaver,The Hal Roach/MGM Little Rascals/Our Gang,The 3 Stooges and the Universal-Walter Lance Cartoon package!

 

[DeWilson]

I think the old lady being pushed down the stairs was in "The Evil Three."

Yes, that was cut!

 

[Regulus]

This is one of those sets that if I had to cull my 6,000 DVDs down to a few, I'd keep this set. There's a real comfort in the charm of this show for me that only grows as I get older.

It's obvious I'm not the only mega-collector on this planet. I do agree, Vintage TV Shows only get better with age!

 

[Tony Bensley]

COMMANDER TOM! I was a kid in Buffalo, 1974-1978 and I remember these as well. Along with Leave it To Beaver,The Hal Roach/MGM Little Rascals/Our Gang,The 3 Stooges and the Universal-Walter Lance Cartoon package!

Hi DeWilson!

I remember all of the above titles having been aired on THE COMMANDER TOM SHOW (Though I think the Show leaned more heavily toward the MGM 'Our Gang' Shorts, than the superior Hal Roach Entries!) with the exception of The Three Stooges. For some reason, I don't remember ANY of these being broadcast on "Commander Tom" at all during my time watching these, though I do understand that Tom Jolls did present some of their Shorts at some point!

By the way, Tom Jolls is now 81 years old. While he and his wife did initially spend their winters down in Florida after his retirement from Television, they are now back in Buffalo year round, as this is where most of their Family members reside.

I for one, give a big thank you to THE COMMANDER TOM SHOW for having provided my earliest exposure to "The Man Of Steel's" live action adventures!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Tony Bensley]

Having viewed most of the Adam West/Burt Ward BATMAN Season 1 Episodes on the marvelous Warner/Fox Blu-Ray set has caused me to long for Warner to also give their ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Series a similar treatment.


CHEERS!

 

[Sky King]

Tony,


I don't expect anything further from Warner Brothers regarding The Adventures Of Superman.

They did the bare minumum to make a fast buck and IMHO, this series for them is now a distant memory.

It deserved better.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Tony,


I don't expect anything further from Warner Brothers regarding The Adventures Of Superman.

They did the bare minumum to make a fast buck and IMHO, this series for them is now a distant memory.

It deserved better.

Hi Sky King!


If this is so, what a shame especially in light of the marvelous results with their BATMAN: THE COMPLETE TELEVISION SERIES sets!


The difference may come down to available and accessible 35mm Film Elements, along with any missing Original Opening Credits for the various ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Seasons. What a treat it would be if all of these could be combined in a superb HD Restoration for Blu-Ray! Given Warner's practices over the past several years, it is my opinion that they likely wouldn't even consider proceeding with an AOS upgrade without ALL of the available Film Elements, as from what I've read, they now only source from 16mm as a last resort (IE. The Bowery Boys 1946 Feature, MR. HEX, which for many years, gummed up the release of their ultimately issued 4 Volume DVD sets, comprising of their entire series!), and I suspect that even this might be for their DVD only issues!


CHEERS!


Tony